By Francis Ameyibor
Harare (Zimbabwe), Dec. 9, GNA – Dr Samuel Kwabena Boakye-Boateng, Upper East Regional Director of Health Service, has outlined an effective transformational management approach to inject dynamism in health professionals and create a conducive, friendly environment for all stakeholders to patronise public health facilities in the region.
He explained that a transformational management approach would ensure that healthcare leaders and providers in the region took bold steps to adopt a consumer-centric focus and shift to preventive and outcomes-based care models.
He said the public health system was the foundation of a healthy nation, as it served as a critical and effective administration of healthcare services to the larger public.
“As the new Regional Director of Health, I would lead my Health Team to provide an equitable, quality, and more efficient and effective patient-centric healthcare system in the region,” succinctly ensuring that the region becomes one of the best destinations for health in Ghana.
Dr. Boakye-Boateng told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Harare, Zimbabwe, on the sidelines of the 22nd edition of the International Conference on Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA).
It is a major bilingual international AIDS conference that takes place in Africa.
Ghana is participating with officials from the Ghana Health Service, the Ghana AIDS Commission, the National AIDS/STI Control Programme, civil society organisations in the health sector, and other key stakeholders.
The delegation includes Dr Stephen Ayisi Addo, Programme Manager of the National AIDS/STI Control Programme; Dr. Vincent Ganu, Principal Medical Officer at the Infectious Disease Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital; and Mrs. Gifty Addo-Tetebo, Eastern Regional HIV/AIDS/STI Coordinator.
The others are Ms Gifty Boakye, Mr Philip Boakye, Mr David Adika, and Dr Raphael Adu-Gyamfi, all from the National AIDS/STI Control Programme; Mr Jacob Acquah Andoh, Ghana Health Service Headquarters; and Mr Majeed Sulemana, also from the Upper East Regional Health Directorate.
Dr Boakye-Boateng noted that effective transformational management approaches involved engagement with strategic stakeholders, including the community, traditional and religious leaders, the media, civil society organisations, private sector players, the corporate world, the business community, and other professional bodies both within and outside the health sector.
He said the Regional Health Directorate would ensure that healthcare systems across the districts and communities took advantage of and used digital technology for innovative solutions to improve healthcare delivery and associated health outcomes.
Dr Boakye-Boateng also revealed that to improve the healthcare needs of the region, the health directorate would coordinate and collaborate to increase funding, improve infrastructure, and invest in healthcare workers.
He said improving access to medicines and equipment, promoting preventive care and education, and ensuring accountability and transparency would enhance healthcare delivery and give its population better health outcomes.
On ICASA, Dr. Boakye-Boateng also told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the biennial International AIDS Conference is the premier convening for all individuals, governments, and communities working in the field of health in Africa as pertains to HIV/AIDS and STIs.
He said it offered global and national leaders, people living with HIV, private sector partners, and others committed to ending the epidemic and strengthening the health systems in Africa an opportunity to engage and share best practices.
Dr. Boakye-Boateng noted that ICASA presented an opportunity for researchers and clinicians worldwide to share the latest scientific advances, learn from one another’s experiences and expertise, and develop strategies for advancing all facets of the global collective efforts to achieve epidemiologic control of HIV/AIDS across Africa and achieve the UNAIDS goal of 95:95:95 by 2030.
The Society for AIDS in Africa is the main organiser of ICASA, which works in collaboration with its international and local partners.
GNA